PROSPECTUS October 1, 2015 COLUMBIA SELECT SMALLER-CAP VALUE FUND CLASS Class A Shares Class B Shares Class C Shares Class I Shares Class K Shares Class R Shares Class R4 Shares Class R5 Shares Class Y Shares Class Z Shares TICKER SYMBOL SSCVX SSCBX SVMCX CSSIX SSLRX SSVRX CSPRX SSVIX CSSYX CSSZX As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary of the Fund... 3 Investment Objective... 3 Fees and Expenses of the Fund... 3 Principal Investment Strategies... 4 Principal Risks... 4 Performance Information... 6 Fund Management... 7 Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares... 7 Tax Information... 8 Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries... 8 More Information About the Fund... 9 Investment Objective... 9 Principal Investment Strategies... 9 Principal Risks... 10 Additional Investment Strategies and Policies... 11 Primary Service Providers... 16 Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates Certain Conflicts of Interest... 17 Certain Legal Matters... 18 Choosing a Share Class... 19 The Funds... 19 Summary of Share Class Features... 19 Sales Charges and Commissions... 24 Reductions/Waivers of Sales Charges... 32 Distribution and Service Fees... 34 Selling Agent Compensation... 37 Buying, Selling and Exchanging Shares... 39 Share Price Determination... 39 Transaction Rules and Policies... 40 Opening an Account and Placing Orders... 44 Buying Shares... 46 Selling Shares... 52 Exchanging Shares... 53 Distributions and Taxes... 56 Distributions to Shareholders... 56 Taxes... 57 Financial Highlights... 59 2 PROSPECTUS 2015
SUMMARY OF THE FUND Investment Objective Columbia Select Smaller-Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation. Fees and Expenses of the Fund This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and members of your immediate family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in certain classes of shares of eligible funds distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary, and can be found in the Choosing a Share Class section beginning on page 19 of the Fund s prospectus and in Appendix S to the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) under Sales Charge Waivers beginning on page S-1. Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) Class A Class B Class C Classes I, K, R, R4, R5, Y and Z Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a % of offering price) 5.75% None None None Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions (as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or current net asset value) 1.00% (a) 5.00% (b) 1.00% (c) None Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) Class A Class B Class C Class I Class K Class R Class R4 Class R5 Class Y Class Z Management fees (d) 0.87% 0.87% 0.87% 0.87% 0.87% 0.87% 0.87% 0.87% 0.87% 0.87% Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.25% 1.00% 1.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.50% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Other expenses (d)(e) 0.24% 0.24% 0.24% 0.06% 0.36% 0.24% 0.24% 0.11% 0.06% 0.24% Total annual Fund operating expenses 1.36% 2.11% 2.11% 0.93% 1.23% 1.61% 1.11% 0.98% 0.93% 1.11% (a) This charge is imposed on certain investments of between $1 million and $50 million redeemed within 18 months after purchase, as follows: 1.00% if redeemed within 12 months after purchase, and 0.50% if redeemed more than 12, but less than 18, months after purchase, with certain limited exceptions. (b) This charge decreases over time. (c) This charge applies to redemptions within 12 months after purchase, with certain limited exceptions. (d) Management fees reflect the combination of advisory and administrative services fees under one agreement providing for a single management fee. As a result, other expenses do not include administrative services fees. Advisory fees and administrative services fees paid pursuant to separate prior agreements amounted to 0.79% and 0.08% of average daily net assets of the Fund, respectively. (e) Other expenses for Class A, Class B, Class C, Class K, Class R, Class R4, Class R5 and Class Z shares have been restated to reflect current transfer agency fees paid by the Fund. Example The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that: you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated, your investment has a 5% return each year, and the Fund s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above. PROSPECTUS 2015 3
SUMMARY OF THE FUND (continued) Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be: 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years Class A (whether or not shares are redeemed) $706 $981 $1,277 $2,116 Class B (assuming redemption of all shares at the end of the period) $714 $961 $1,334 $2,250 Class B (assuming no redemption of shares) $214 $661 $1,134 $2,250 Class C (assuming redemption of all shares at the end of the period) $314 $661 $1,134 $2,441 Class C (assuming no redemption of shares) $214 $661 $1,134 $2,441 Class I (whether or not shares are redeemed) $ 95 $296 $ 515 $1,143 Class K (whether or not shares are redeemed) $125 $390 $ 676 $1,489 Class R (whether or not shares are redeemed) $164 $508 $ 876 $1,911 Class R4 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $113 $353 $ 612 $1,352 Class R5 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $100 $312 $ 542 $1,201 Class Y (whether or not shares are redeemed) $ 95 $296 $ 515 $1,143 Class Z (whether or not shares are redeemed) $113 $353 $ 612 $1,352 Portfolio Turnover The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund s portfolio turnover rate was 26% of the average value of its portfolio. Principal Investment Strategies Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of smaller capitalization issuers. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 2000 Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $65 million and $4.3 billion as of August 31, 2015). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which smaller market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate. The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund also invests substantially in value companies. The Fund considers value companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more economic sectors in selecting its investments, including the consumer discretionary sector. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 40 and 50 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range. The Fund s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities. Principal Risks An investment in the Fund involves risk, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund s holdings may decline, and the Fund s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives. Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price. 4 PROSPECTUS 2015
SUMMARY OF THE FUND (continued) Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including the political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively impacted by fluctuations in a foreign currency s strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund s portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading of investments increases the possibility that the Fund, as relevant, will realize taxable capital gains (including short-term capital gains, which are generally taxable to shareholders at higher rates than long-term capital gains for U.S. federal income tax purposes), which could reduce the Fund s after-tax return. Frequent trading can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund s return. The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund s performance. Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors. Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods. Although equity securities generally tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities, under certain market conditions, debt securities may have comparable or greater price volatility. Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within an economic sector, including the consumer discretionary sector. Companies in the same economic sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that economic sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the consumer discretionary sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rate changes, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, changing demographics and consumer tastes. Small Company Securities Risk. Investments in small-capitalization companies (small-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and securities of small-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies. Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet the portfolio manager s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though the portfolio manager(s) PROSPECTUS 2015 5
SUMMARY OF THE FUND (continued) believe(s) the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to the portfolio manager s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time. Performance Information The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund s Class A share performance (without sales charges) has varied for each full calendar year shown. If the sales charges were reflected, returns shown would be lower. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund s returns (after applicable sales charges shown in the Shareholder Fees table in this prospectus) for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance. The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund s Class A shares (without applicable sales charges and adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses and sales charges (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities. The after-tax returns shown in the Average Annual Total Returns table below are calculated using the highest historical individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-advantaged accounts such as 401(k) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). The after-tax returns are shown only for Class A shares and will vary for other share classes. Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares are higher than before-tax returns for certain periods shown because they reflect the tax benefit of capital losses realized on the redemption of Fund shares. The Fund s past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us. Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year* Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart 60% 48.15% Best 2nd Quarter 2009 29.74% 40% 20% 21.38% 6.26% 36.40% 26.85% 15.44% 5.41% Worst 3rd Quarter 2011-24.90% 0% -20% -3.08% -9.42% -40% -60% -41.19% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 * Year to Date return as of June 30, 2015: 6.84% 6 PROSPECTUS 2015
SUMMARY OF THE FUND (continued) Average Annual Total Returns After Applicable Sales Charges (for periods ended December 31, 2014) Share Class Inception Date 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years Class A 04/25/1997 returns before taxes -0.66% 14.31% 6.95% returns after taxes on distributions -3.20% 13.09% 5.87% returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares 1.56% 11.47% 5.56% Class B returns before taxes 04/25/1997-0.01% 14.57% 6.77% Class C returns before taxes 05/27/1999 3.69% 14.79% 6.79% Class I returns before taxes 08/03/2009 5.85% 16.23% 7.86% Class K returns before taxes 08/03/2009 5.54% 15.87% 7.69% Class R returns before taxes 04/30/2003 5.11% 15.37% 7.30% Class R4 returns before taxes 11/08/2012 5.66% 15.81% 7.64% Class R5 returns before taxes 11/30/2001 5.82% 16.15% 8.13% Class Y returns before taxes 10/01/2014 5.38% 15.67% 7.58% Class Z returns before taxes 09/27/2010 5.64% 15.94% 7.70% Russell 2000 Value Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) 4.22% 14.26% 6.89% Fund Management Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC Portfolio Manager Title Role with Fund Managed Fund Since Richard Rosen Senior Portfolio Manager Lead Manager 1997 Kari Montanus Portfolio Manager Co-manager 2014 Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day by contacting the Fund in the ways described below: Online Regular Mail Express Mail By Telephone columbiathreadneedle.com/us Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. P.O. Box 8081 Boston, MA 02266-8081 Columbia Funds, c/o Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. 30 Dan Road, Suite 8081 Canton, MA 02021-2809 800.422.3737 You may purchase shares and receive redemption proceeds by electronic funds transfer, by check or by wire. If you maintain your account with a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, you must contact that financial intermediary to buy, sell or exchange shares of the Fund through your account with the intermediary. PROSPECTUS 2015 7
SUMMARY OF THE FUND (continued) The minimum initial investment amounts for the share classes offered by the Fund are shown below: Minimum Initial Investment Class Classes A, B* & C Classes I, K**, R, R4 & Y Class R5 Class Z Category of eligible account For accounts other than systematic investment plan accounts For systematic investment plan accounts All accounts other than IRAs $2,000 $100 IRAs $1,000 $100 All eligible accounts None N/A Combined underlying accounts of eligible registered investment advisers $100,000 N/A Omnibus retirement plans None N/A All eligible accounts $0, $1,000 or $2,000 depending upon the category of eligible investor $100 * Class B shares are generally closed to new and existing shareholders. ** Class K shares are generally closed to new investors. There is no minimum additional investment for any share class. Tax Information The Fund normally distributes net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders. These distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA. If you are investing through a taxadvantaged account, you may be taxed upon withdrawals from that account. Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies including Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager), Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary s website for more information. 8 PROSPECTUS 2015
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND Investment Objective Columbia Select Smaller-Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation. Only shareholders can change the Fund s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund s objective will be achieved. Principal Investment Strategies Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of smaller capitalization issuers. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 2000 Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $65 million and $4.3 billion as of August 31, 2015). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a stock even if the company s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index. The Fund s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which smaller market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate. The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund also invests substantially in value companies. The Fund considers value companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more economic sectors in selecting its investments, including the consumer discretionary sector. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 40 and 50 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range. The Fund s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities. In pursuit of the Fund s objective, the portfolio managers use a bottom-up stock selection approach, which means that they concentrate on individual company fundamentals, rather than on a particular industry, although at times factors that make a particular company attractive may also make other companies within the same industry attractive, and the portfolio managers may invest in these issuers as well. Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) considers a variety of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund s portfolio which may include, among others, the following: a low price-to-earnings and/or low price-to-book ratio; positive change in senior management; positive corporate restructuring; temporary setback in price due to factors that no longer exist or are ending; a positive shift in the company s business cycle; and/or a catalyst for increase in the rate of the company s earnings growth. The Investment Manager generally sells a stock if it believes the stock has become fully valued, its fundamentals have deteriorated, or ongoing evaluation reveals that there are more attractive investment opportunities available. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund s holdings, remaining sensitive to overvaluation and deteriorating fundamentals. The Fund s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days advance written notice of the change. PROSPECTUS 2015 9
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND (continued) Principal Risks An investment in the Fund involves risk, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund s holdings may decline, and the Fund s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that will achieve the Fund s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Focused Portfolio Risk. The Fund, because it may invest in a limited number of companies, may have more volatility in its NAV and is considered to have more risk than a fund that invests in a greater number of companies because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Fund s NAV. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in fewer securities, the Fund is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price. Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. The performance of the Fund may be negatively impacted by fluctuations in a foreign currency s strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign securities may also be less liquid than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund s return on such securities. In some cases such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events; possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; possible imposition of currency exchange controls; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund s portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading of investments increases the possibility that the Fund, as relevant, will realize taxable capital gains (including short-term capital gains, which are generally taxable to shareholders at higher rates than long-term capital gains for U.S. federal income tax purposes), which could reduce the Fund s after-tax return. Frequent trading can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund s return. The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund s performance. Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors. 10 PROSPECTUS 2015
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND (continued) Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. Security values may fall or fail to rise because of a variety of actual or perceived factors affecting an issuer (e.g., an unfavorable earnings report), the industry or sector in which it operates, or the market as a whole, which may reduce the value of an investment in the Fund. Accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods. The market values of the securities the Fund holds can be affected by changes or perceived changes in U.S. or foreign economies and financial markets, and the liquidity of these securities, among other factors. Although equity securities generally tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities, under certain market conditions, debt securities may have comparable or greater price volatility. In addition, stock prices may be sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within an economic sector, including the consumer discretionary sector. Companies in the same economic sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that economic sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the consumer discretionary sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rate changes, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, changing demographics and consumer tastes. Small Company Securities Risk. Securities of small-capitalization companies (small-cap companies) can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger-capitalization companies (larger companies) but may also have more risk. For example, small-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller management teams. Securities of small-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses. In addition, some small-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks. Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet the portfolio manager s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though the portfolio manager(s) believe(s) the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to the portfolio manager s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time. Additional Investment Strategies and Policies This section describes certain investment strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective and some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund. Investment Guidelines As a general matter, and except as specifically described in the discussion of the Fund s principal investment strategies in this prospectus or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, whenever an investment policy PROSPECTUS 2015 11
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND (continued) or limitation states a percentage of the Fund s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund s investment in the security or asset. Holding Other Kinds of Investments The Fund may hold investments that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and their risks are described below and/or in the SAI. The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so. Information on the Fund s holdings can be found in the Fund s shareholder reports or by visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us. Transactions in Derivatives The Fund may enter into derivative transactions or otherwise have exposure to derivative transactions through underlying investments. Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or derived from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR)) or market indices (such as the Standard & Poor s (S&P) 500 Index). The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security or other asset directly. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility in the value of the derivative and/or the Fund s shares, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders holding shares in a taxable account. Other risks arise from the Fund s potential inability to terminate or to sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or to sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. U.S. federal legislation has been enacted that provides for new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These changes could restrict and/or impose significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund s participation in derivatives transactions. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the SAI. Investing in Affiliated Funds The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to mutual funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as fund-of-funds, and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds, which may include the Fund (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash 12 PROSPECTUS 2015
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND (continued) flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid securities (securities that are not readily marketable or that a fund may not be able to sell or dispose of in the ordinary course of business, within seven days, at approximately the value at which the fund has valued the security). Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has an economic conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds. Investing in Money Market Funds The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest. Lending of Portfolio Securities The Fund may lend portfolio securities to broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral. The Fund currently does not participate in the securities lending program but the Board of Trustees (the Board) may determine to renew participation in the future. For more information on lending of portfolio securities and the risks involved, see the Fund s SAI and its annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. Investing Defensively The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may take such defensive investment positions for as long a period as deemed necessary. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively. Investing defensively may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and taxes, and decreased Fund performance. See also Investing in Money Market Funds above for more information. Other Strategic and Investment Measures The Fund may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in derivatives, such as futures (e.g., index futures) or options on futures, for various purposes, including among others, investing in particular derivatives to achieve indirect investment exposures to a sector, country or region where the Investment Manager believes such positioning is appropriate. The Fund may take such portfolio positions for as long a period as deemed necessary. While the Fund is so positioned, derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund s investments and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these PROSPECTUS 2015 13
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND (continued) times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and taxes, and decreased Fund performance. For information on the risks of investing in derivatives, see Transactions in Derivatives above. Portfolio Holdings Disclosure The Board has adopted policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the securities owned by the Fund. A description of these policies and procedures is included in the SAI. Fund policy generally permits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information on the Fund s website (columbiathreadneedle.com/us) only after a certain amount of time has passed, as described in the SAI. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities can take place at any time, so the portfolio holdings information available on the Fund s website may not always be current. FUNDamentals Portfolio Holdings Versus the Benchmarks The Fund does not limit its investments to the securities within its benchmark(s), and accordingly the Fund s holdings may diverge significantly from those of its benchmark(s). In addition, the Fund may invest in securities outside any industry and geographic sectors represented in its benchmark(s). The Fund s weightings in individual securities, and in industry or geographic sectors, may also vary considerably from those of its benchmark(s). edelivery and Mailings to Households In order to reduce shareholder expenses, the Fund may, if prior consent has been provided, mail only one copy of the Fund s prospectus and each annual and semiannual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive separate copies of these documents, call 800.345.6611 or, if your shares are held through a financial intermediary, contact your intermediary directly. Additionally, you may elect to enroll in edelivery to receive electronic versions of these documents by logging into your account at columbiathreadneedle.com/us. Cash Flows The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to shareholders redeeming Fund shares could require the Fund to sell portfolio securities at less than opportune times or to hold ready reserves of uninvested cash in amounts larger than might otherwise be the case to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund s performance. Understanding Annual Fund Operating Expenses The Fund s annual operating expenses, as presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section of this prospectus, generally are based on expenses incurred during the Fund s most recently completed fiscal year and are expressed as a percentage (expense ratio) of the Fund s average net assets during that fiscal year. The expense ratios reflect the Fund s fee arrangements as of the date of this prospectus and, unless indicated otherwise, are based on expenses incurred during the Fund s most recent fiscal year. The Fund s assets will fluctuate, but no adjustments have been or will be made to the expense ratios to reflect any differences in the Fund s average net assets between the most recently completed fiscal year and the date of this prospectus, or a later date. In general, the Fund s expense ratios will increase as its net assets decrease, such that the Fund s actual expense ratios may be higher than the expense ratios presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table if assets fall. Any commitment by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates to waive fees and/or cap (reimburse) expenses is expected, in part, to limit the impact of any increase in the Fund s operating expense ratios that would otherwise result because of a decrease in the Fund s assets in the current fiscal year. The Fund s annual operating expenses are comprised of (i) investment management fees, (ii) distribution and/or service fees, and (iii) other expenses. Management fees do not vary by class, but distribution and/or service fees and other expenses may vary by class. 14 PROSPECTUS 2015